“We wrote the lyrics in, like, 45 minutes,” Lydia Liza told Andrea Swensson this week when she and Josiah Lemanski visited our studios to sing their new version of the holiday standard “Baby It’s Cold Outside.” The two never guessed that their recording would become a viral hit, resonating with listeners around the world who disliked…

This weekend, Bob Dylan will be honored with a Nobel Prize in Literature at a ceremony in Sweden. He won't be attending, but he will be providing a speech to be read on his behalf, and Patti Smith will perform Dylan's "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall." So for today's 9:30 Coffee Break, what Bob Dylan songs and covers do you want to hear?

Venue news came in the form of a Kehlani show announcement this morning. As the Oakland pop/R&B star gears up to release her album SWEETSEXYSAVAGE on Jan. 27, she rolled out a series of tour dates, including one in Minneapolis on May 6. The venue? “Music Hall FKA Mill City Nights.” Apparently, the Fifth Street space is getting another rebrand; Kehlani’s…

For the week of Dec. 5, 2016, Brian Oake has selected 'Way We Won't,' the new single by Modesto, Calif., band Grandaddy. 'I can't speak to exactly why this song moves me so much,' Brian says, 'but it's that song that every time it comes on in the studio, I turn it up a little bit louder.' Listen to the song and watch the video for 'Way We Won't,' which features actor Jason Ritter.

Top 89

Make your voice heard: Vote for your 10 favorite songs for our annual Top 89 poll and you’ll be entered to win a $300 gift certificate for the Electric Fetus and two VIP tickets to The Current’s 12th Birthday Parties at First Avenue.

Top 89 isn't just about songs (though, that list does get the bulk of the attention). We want to know all about your musical year: what were the best albums, new artists, videos, concerts and local bands of 2016?

Following the release of his third album, 'We Move,' James Vincent McMorrow stopped in The Current's studio for a session hosted by Jade. Looking at his trajectory as an artist, McMorrow indicates his artistic output has been informed by his circumstances and his available resources. 'Everything I do is based on what feels right,' he says. Check out the complete in-studio session.

Alejandro Escovedo is a true survivor; not only has he enjoyed 40 years in the music business, he's had some very close calls with death, including surviving a category four hurricane. 'I appreciate everything now more than ever,' Escovedo says. Touring in support of his latest album, 'Burn Something Beautiful,' Escovedo and his band stopped at The Current for a session hosted by Bill DeVille.

Arkells' frontman Max Kerman is in it for the long game; he's already thinking about how he will age as an artist. 'I've observed the way a lot of bands have aged; there are some bands that can do it really well and some bands can't do it as well,' Kerman says. 'But there's one person who's been really inspiring to me lately ... Leonard Cohen.' Hear more from Arkells in their in-studio session, hosted by Sean McPherson.

Oake and Riley Features

We're thinking about John Lennon today, who was shot and killed on this day in 1980. John would have been 76 had his life not been taken 36 years ago. So for today's 9:30 Coffee Break, what John Lennon songs and covers do you want to hear?